Mexico City - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
I think it was about $450 per month for a full time housekeeper. - Jan 2024
Affordable and most everyone hires at least a part-time household helper. Nannies for those who work and have younger children. - Jul 2023
I think most people pay $30 a day or so for live out housekeeping. Not sure for live in, but several families have that option for nannies, etc. - Apr 2021
We have been very lucky to find great household help. You can pay anywhere from 2,500-3,500MXN (a little over US $100-150)/week for full-time help. There are wonderful household employees who have worked for many embassy families, but there are also services who will find help for you, including background checks. - May 2020
Household help is pretty decently priced, and pretty much everyone has some sort of household help. It is easy to find live-in and live-out help. We found it harder to find someone who actually wanted to travel so Santa Fe'. We briefly had a nanny, but decided our kids would be much more productive in daycare and after school programs around other children. I have noticed a pattern of workers being overpaid and expect all employers to pay them what a previous employer may have been paying them. We also had a part time cleaner for two days a week and paid her $800 pesos a week, which equated to about $40US per week. Be prepared to negotiate and don't feel like you are obligated to hire the first person you interviews as there is always someone looking for work. - Apr 2019
I would say that a housekeeper costs about $25 a day. Many people do employ housekeepers and/or nannies. There are also online services for emergency or occasional help. - Apr 2019
The availability of house hold help is abundant here. Many hire housekeepers and/or nannies. The cost can range from the equivalent of US$17-26 per day. Drivers aren't as common with the embassy population, but can be hired for around US$6 per hour. - Jun 2018
Full-time live-in help costs $20-$27/day plus a huge severance package at the end. The nannies I have seen are phenomenal. Children here appear to be very well cared-for. Some nannies cook and clean too. Some people hire drivers. There are a lot of good people here, and they generally count on expatriate populations to treat them fairly. Please don't forget that obligation. - May 2017
We have a part-time housekeeper who is wonderful. The average rate for household help seems to be around $20 a day depending on how long they work and what you have them do. There is a great deal of availability. We found ours from a colleague departing post. Many people have help five days a week, and people with small children have nannys. A few people we know have live-in help, and there are maids quarters in many apartments. Almost everyone I know, Mexican or expat, has some sort of household help. - Sep 2016
Very affordable, and I think we got lucky but she's fantastic. - May 2016
400 pesos a day, easily available. Most people work a 6-7 hour day if they commute since commutes can be as long as 2 hours. Sometimes you can find someone who will work longer, but usually it is the live-in housekeeper who works longer hours. - May 2016
The domestic help isn't as easy to find as I thought it would be, but we found someone we really like. She is full time, live out, for about $400/month. - May 2016
Widely available and most everyone has some help. Full-time maid/nanny is around 300-400 pesos a day (less than US$30). - Oct 2014
Domestic help is cheap and in some cases really reliable. I think my maid is great & I pay her 500 pesos a week as part-time (2x a week). Some get both a maid and a nanny. - Aug 2014
Definitely available. - Apr 2014
It is cheap. A day maid will cost you anywhere from 300MXp to 400MXP. - Mar 2014
Generally trustworthy, widely available, and extremely affordable. We had a great experience and paid about US$20/day. - Dec 2013
Ample availability at good prices. - Jul 2013
I went through 4 different housekeepers. Good help is hard to find. - Jan 2013
Readily available and cheap, usually about 300 pesos a day for a nanny or housekeeper. - Jan 2013
Normally 250 pesos a day (a day is NOT 8 hours for a Mexican maid, at best 7 hours including lunch) - so about $22/day. In Polanco/Santa Fe, Americans tend to pay more, but Mexican households in the same areas pay less. Then you add Aguinaldo (Xmas bonus, 2 to 4 weeks depending on agreement), 7 paid holidays and severance pay of 3 months -- due after only 3 months at your service, so choose wisely and fast. - May 2012
Available and affordable. But be aware of various local labor laws and expected bonuses--like one month's extra pay every Christmas and another before your departure. Some do bring a nanny from another country but I don't have the details. - Apr 2011
Cost varies - locals pay less than expats. Embassy employees are held to a ridiculous standard in terms of pay and severance pay. Be sure to check references; theft and dishonesty are issues. - Apr 2010
between 500-600$ a month, but be careful how you pick. - Feb 2010
Day maids are about 25-40 dollars a day. Live-in maids are about 400 dollars a month. Widely available, especially if you live in Polanco. Little harder to find farther out (e.g., Santa Fe, Interlomas) because it means a longer commute for the workers. - Jan 2010
Inexpensive--US$22/day. - Mar 2009
I get constant requests for someone wanting to work. Domestic help is readily available. A day maid is between 250-300 pesos per day. A live-in maid is between 3000-6500 pesos a month depending on your requests. - Nov 2008
Availability is not a problem. Cost can be pricey compared to other places overseas (but not compared to the US). You have to be careful with Mexico laws because when you leave you are obligated to a certain payout for full-time employees. We pay a day-maid about US$30 to clean our house once a week. - Oct 2008
